Gaius Julius Caesar De Bello Gallico De Bello

Gaius Julius Caesar De Bello Gallico

De Bello Gallico • • Divided into 8 books This work was actually written by Julius Caesar himself (except for the final book – that was written after his death) Describes his military campaigns in Gaul during the years 58 -52 BC “Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres…”

Purpose of De Bello Gallico • • Many of Caesar’s enemies were wary of the power he was gaining from his military success in Gaul and that he would abuse his authority Realizing this, Caesar knew that he had to connect with the plebeians – the lower class He wrote this work in simple and direct prose to achieve this goal Other stylistic traits include writing in the third person and writing in the historical present

Our story – Book V • In the setting of our story, we are in the year 54 BC when the Gauls revolt while Caesar is away in Rome • The Roman camp is being sieged and the legion has to fend for itself • What do you think the purpose of our passage is? • Vorenus and Pullo are two rivals looking to become primus pilus (“first spear, ” the top ranking centurion in a legion)

Organization of a Legion • The major key to a legion’s success is organization • Each legion consists of about 4, 800 men • These men are divided into 10 cohorts • Each cohort consists of 6 centuries of about 80 men • Each century is led by a centurion • Visual…

Other Legion Facts • Each legion was led into battle by a standard and silver eagle; if an army lost its standard in battle it was often dissolved

Other Legion Facts • • • In addition to carrying weapons, Roman soldiers also carried all the supplies needed to set up camp each night Each soldier had specific materials for a specific job Legions stayed in some camps for so long they ended up being permanent settlements (and later cities!)